"We've definitely got one eye on Rio," he said.

"Even though I've had a great year, the Olympics are only a couple of years away and we have to start planning for them now.

"I've got two Olympic bronze medals but I'm so keen to win a gold."

Despite his impressive international CV, the 27-year-old midfielder has twice suffered semi-final heartbreak at Olympic Games, although on both occasions — in 2008 after losing to Spain and 2010 to Germany — the Kookaburras rebounded to win bronze and maintain the team's phenomenal run of podium finishes.

By no means is Ockenden downplaying what will be his seventh Champions Trophy tournament, but after a year which has seen him win Azlan Shah, World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold with Australia, and captain Tasmania to an Australia Hockey League crown, the trip to Bhubaneswar represents just the latest port of call en route to Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

"At the start of the year this probably wasn't that major for us but now it's here, all the others have gone and we've had a couple of months off, it's suddenly another big tournament and top of our priorities because it's the next one.

"It's an interesting time with a lot of new players coming in which is fantastic and I'm looking forward to that and hoping to do well out there."

Hobart's North-West Grads player was back in his home town last night along with Tamar Churinga's Tim Deavin for the Tasmanian Sports Awards but both fly out this morning to meet their national teammates in Singapore before continuing on to India.

The Tasmanian pair are all too familiar with the country which Australia beat in the last two Commonwealth Games finals and hosted for a Test series in Perth last month.

"We seem to spend a lot of time in India now for assorted tournaments and the Hockey India League and I love going there," Ockenden said.

"It can be challenging and a lot different to what you're used to but it's the home of hockey, it's their national game, they love it and the crowds there are great.

"I think India is a great place to go and I'd love to go there on holiday and see a bit more of the country than just the nice hotels and lots of hockey grounds."

Although defending the World Cup in The Hague represented Australia's top priority for 2014, Ockenden and Deavin admitted being a part of the Tassie Tigers' inaugural AHL title would always be special to them.

"Looking back, it's been a remarkable year," Ockenden said.

"Winning the AHL with Tasmania was so unexpected. Tim and I were so happy to have that success with Tassie. You play hockey to get to go to major tournaments representing Australia but that tournament with Tassie was just great.

"We just got on a roll and it was a huge achievement, probably more difficult to win that than some of the successes we've had with the Kookaburras."

Ockenden said the national crown also gave him an edge over his former state and national teammate Matthew Wells.

Asked if Wells was partial to mentioning that he does own an Olympic gold medal, courtesy of the 2004 triumph in Athens, Ockenden replied: "Yes, but I tell him he hasn't won a national title with Tassie yet".